ch1-ch20 · 013-ch13

Chapter 13: "Kyun"

"Kyaaaaaah!!"

It was just like slow motion.

Through the wide-open rear door, a single blonde girl dances through the air.

But that was supposed to be a momentary event.

If she crashed into the road like that, the girl—Sumi's life would be over.

'--I won't let that happen!'

Leaping from the bicycle he was pedaling, Rokuro dashed toward Sumi.

Adding his own jumping power to the bike's acceleration, he somehow reaches Sumi, who had been thrown upward.

"Yes!"

In that instant, he wrapped his arms around her, spinning once, twice, three times in midair.

With each rotation, the momentum from his high-speed leap was dampened.

"Huh? Wha? Huh?"

Still holding Sumi, who couldn't comprehend what was happening, Rokuro landed perfectly.

"Phew... Sumi-chan, just wait there. It's dangerous since cars are coming."

Rokuro carried Sumi to the sidewalk in a princess carry, then went back onto the road, shouldered the bicycle, and returned to Sumi's side.

"Aww, it got bent. Ai's gonna be mad at me."

"Eh? I, isn't that the least of our problems!?"

Seeing Rokuro looking regretful at the now-distorted bicycle, Sumi, who had been sitting dazed on the sidewalk, finally caught up with what was happening.

"Ai's Papa saved me, right?"

"Ah, um... w-well, I guess you could say that."

Apparently unable to hide it well, Rokuro nodded while scratching his head.

"Whoa, amazing! Wait, that's insane! Was Ai's Papa, like, an ex-circus performer or something??"

"No, no, I just got lucky. When I desperately leaped thinking 'please, please let me make it,' somehow I did."

"Hmmm?"

But even considering the speed of the bicycle, Sumi could tell that Rokuro was no ordinary person.

To avert her suspicious gaze, Rokuro hurriedly changed the subject.

"Um, uh, Sumi-chan, can you get through on your phone? I have money, so I'd like you to take a taxi back. I'm going to chase after Ai."

"Eh... ah, right, Ai and Kiriri are still..."

Remembering, she looked at the road, but the van was long gone, out of sight.

"I-I'm sorry... because you tried to save me..."

"What are you talking about? Don't worry about that. The important thing is that you're safe, Sumi-chan."

That was the same gentle smile Rokuro always showed Ai and her friends.

Yes, just like always, and yet.

　　　――――――✓￣￣￣￣￣￣

"A-ah, I..."

"...? Are you okay? Your smartphone didn't break, did it?"

At his words, she looked at the smartphone she had been gripping desperately.

It was properly in range. Just as she thought, it must have been the barrier that had blocked the signal.

"Y-yes, it's fine!"

"That's good. Then here."

Rokuro took a 5,000-yen bill from his wallet and handed it to Sumi.

"If I remember right, there's a convenience store a little walk from here, so you should wait there until a taxi comes."

"Eh, um, shouldn't we call the police or..."

When Sumi suggested reporting it, Rokuro closed one eye and pressed a finger to his lips.

"...The police probably can't do anything about this. Besides, those guys... I have to handle them myself."

"Eh?"

"Then be careful, Sumi-chan! I'll definitely contact you later with Ai!"

Waving to the confused Sumi, Rokuro ran off.

Sumi watched his retreating back, somewhat in a daze.

"Ah, his hair came undone."

　　―　◆　―

"........."

I'm too shocked to speak.

Looking beside me, Kiriko is frozen with her mouth hanging open too.

With mysterious power, just as the rear door was about to close by itself, I saw Papa catch Sumi, who had been thrown from the car, and land with a backflip. ...Hmm, is that really Papa!?

"H-hey, hey, hey, Ai, that was Ai's Papa just now, right!? What was that all about!? Was Ai's Papa, like, an Olympic cyclist who does those spinning tricks or something!?"

BMX, you mean. I've never heard Papa doing anything like that. And even if he was a former BMX rider, what just now was on another level entirely. And if you ask me what that was, then...

"I don't know... I have no idea what's what..."

"H-hey, hey, I was thinking... maybe the knight from the other world is Ai's Papa?"

"--Huh?"

But the knight from the other world is supposed to be a dandy, handsome older guy, right?? ...Ah, that was just my own assumption. Besides, even if you say that the Papa who's usually a bit hunched over with droopy eyebrows and a squishy smile is the knight who fought the Demon King and saved the world.

Yeah, that's impossible. Besides, Papa isn't a knight—he's a chef. If you said he saved hungry people with his cooking, I might be able to accept that.

Ignoring me as I wrestled with my thoughts, Kiriko's eyes sparkled as she questioned Melkid.

"Hey, Melkid, wasn't that guy on the bicycle just now the knight-sama?"

"Hmm, I have never met him either, so nya~t really."

You should say "not really" properly. It's confusing when a dog-type creature talks like a cat.

"...However, the person from earlier didn't seem to be using any eiyōso."

"See~? So Papa isn't the knight-sama after all."

"Eh, wait, isn't it more amazing that someone can move like that without mysterious otherworldly powers?"

...Now that she says it, that's true. For now, the mystery of Papa has only deepened.

　　　Bururururu... Buru... Sun.

"Ah, the car stopped."

When the back opened again, the overly tanned man was waiting for us.

"Get out, brats. We're here."

Come to think of it, we were being kidnapped. Papa's appearance was so overwhelming that our sense of tension hadn't been working properly.